I'm planning on getting a 2005 mini cooper S and right now I'm on the fence of whether I should get the Works kit or if I should go for aftermarket mods. Is it easy and reliable enough to get aftermarket mods installed in your car? Should I go for the Cooper S and wait until my warranty is up and then do mods? Should I get a Cooper S and do mods right away? Or should I get the Works kit right off bat?

 

You need to ask yourself $$$ or Warranty. The world of aftermarket mods has everything you could possibly want for reasonable costs (for the most part). The problem lies that you may void your warranty if you do these mods. On the other hand the JCW will not void your warranty but will set you back like $5000 up front when you get your car.

 

Boge,

Welcome to the board and congratulations on your planned purchase of a Mini. I don't want to sound negative, but this has been a very lengthy topic many times on this board. You may want to try and do a search, since you will find quite a bit of information. You can gather much more information quicker than waiting for our responses. If you don't find an answer, please post up here and we can fill in our opinions.

 

I had to make the same decision when I bought my new MCS last year. I decided that $6,000 ($4,500 plus $1,500 to install) wasn't worth it for the JCW.

Instead I went to the aftermarket. I got a Pilo Intake, Borla Race Exhaust and a 19% pulley installed by Helix and I have more power than a JCW car and the whole thing cost me about $1,300. I saved $4,700 and have had zero problems with my car and I drive it hard.

Is $4,700 worth it for a factory warranty? Not in my opinion. I'm so glad I didn't go for the JCW. It's a waste of money.

RaceCarDriver

 

>>It's a waste of money.
>>
>>RaceCarDriver

I totally agree. And I'm getting it anyway.

 

Like many people, justifying the cost of a JCW kit requires some convincing. I encountered the same dilemma before the delivery of my car. Here're several threads regarding the relevant topic that might help you in your decision.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=19547

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=23893

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=23530

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=22986

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=18891

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=17117

 

>>I'm planning on getting a 2005 mini cooper S and right now I'm on the fence of whether I should get the Works kit or if I should go for aftermarket mods. Is it easy and reliable enough to get aftermarket mods installed in your car? Should I go for the Cooper S and wait until my warranty is up and then do mods? Should I get a Cooper S and do mods right away? Or should I get the Works kit right off bat?

Boge,

Aloha and welcome to NAM.

MCS with JCW kit is fine (works well). JCW is expensive at $6000 but has warranty. DINAN stage 2 (199 HP) upgrade kit costs less and has a longer 4 year warranty from DINAN. If you want to add alot more upgrades then that might interfere with the JCW or DINAN warranty. If you would want to go with just a JCW kit and then only limited upgrades then that is a viable option.

If you want to do lots of mods from the start it is easy to spend $5000 to $6000+ but you will tend to have more of a selection about what to choose:
Reduction Pulley 15% vs 17% vs 19%
Exhaust header- Milltek or Jackson Racing or Stock
Cat-back exhaust- Milltek or UUC or Borla Street/Race or other
Cold air Intake- Alta with hose or Pilo or RDR carbonfiber (not out yet)
ECU- Powerchip vs Evotech vs GIAC (not out yet)
Larger intercooler- Alta vs RDR (not out yet)
Suspension upgrades- coil overs vs lowering springs, Rear swaybar, rear adjustable control arms- lower pair
Light weight rims and non runflat ultra performance tires
Stage one brake upgrade- powerslot rotors, upgraded brake fluid, track brake pads
Etc.

Once you do mods on a new MCS you are voiding the warranty for the part you replace unless it can easily be returned to stock condition (like the intake)

It's all your choice. Some people choose safety and warranty with JCW and others choose a variety of upgrades.

_________________
Send a PM to minihune Mele Kalikimaka & Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

 

>>MCS with JCW kit is fine.

"Fine"?
As in, "Ooh baby, you so fine..."?

 

I am from Utah and am going to buy from Mini of Murray. I live Utah County. Where is a good place to take my car to have someone do modifications for me? I want someone that has experience with Coopers to do them. Also, do you recommend that I do the mods from the start, or should I wait until my warranty is up?

 

The safest bet is to check with your local MINI dealerships to see if they install aftermarket upgrades. The dealership here in OR installs aftermarket parts.

Here's the contact info for a company in SLC:

MINI Tuner
2984 South 300 West
Suite 100
Salt Lake City, Ut 84115
801-413-0300

Website

:smile:

 

Ha Ha Ha I get it...JCW kit "works" well.